Feb. 21, 2012
Pigness
by Carl Flatow
Former hog farmer, Blake Hurst, wrote an Op-Ed piece that was published in last Sunday’s NY Times, entitled, Don’t Presume to Know a Pig’s Mind. Hurst is disturbed by a TV commercial that Chipotle Mexican Grill ran during the recent … Continue reading →
Feb. 20, 2012
Proof of Spring
by Carl Flatow
On a visit to one apiary, the other day, I found all the signs of spring that I need. …oh, and there were also robins.
Feb. 10, 2012
Thinking Different
by Carl Flatow
I was asked, recently, what I thought of Coda. My response was, Not much. Not that I meant I thought little of this new car company in the sense that I held it in low esteem, but that I was … Continue reading →
Feb. 06, 2012
Candlemas, All Over Again
by Carl Flatow
I have always enjoyed Stephen Colbert, and last week I learned something useful. I did not know, until he told me, that Groundhog Day was a derivative of a holiday called Candlemas. He really got me into research mode when … Continue reading →
Jan. 12, 2012
That Other electric vehicle
by Carl Flatow
There’s plenty of concern expressed in the media, right now, about weak consumer demand in electric cars. Bad press about the Chevy Volt’s battery fires (long after a crash, for goodness sake) and continued range anxiety about pure electric cars … Continue reading →
Nov. 24, 2011
Happy Middle
by Carl Flatow
Back in September I wrote about a colony of bees that I saved from a downed tree. I subsequently saw the new queen that they raised lay eggs which were raised by the workers into new worker bees, thus establishing … Continue reading →
Nov. 18, 2011
Is Science an Institution?
by Carl Flatow
I struggled, for a while, trying to respond to comments from a previous blog post about the essential question, Is science an institution? Then I got smart. I asked a scientist. Here’s what Lawrence Kraus, PhD., and chairman of the … Continue reading →
Nov. 11, 2011
Focus Electric
by Carl Flatow
The other day I got an email from Ford with the subject line, “Get a closer look at the 2012 Focus Electric, then reserve yours today.” As a strong believer that 2012 will be a watershed year for all-electric cars … Continue reading →
Nov. 03, 2011
Is Michael Pollan Anti-Science?
by Carl Flatow
Readers of this blog know that I have been inspired by Michael Pollan’s work. I have read all of his books, learned a lot of useful information and cheered him on as he directed the national conversation in a more … Continue reading →
Oct. 21, 2011
Electric Cars building momentum
by Carl Flatow
A number of electric car stories, coming from several different directions have been in the news. The options, for consumers, are rapidly expanding. This week I began to notice ads for the Mitsubushi i, an all electric 4-door 4-seater super-compact … Continue reading →
Oct. 01, 2011
Blohm from Apimondia – 12,000 hives
by Carl Flatow
Fortunately I got to spend some time with the president of the American Beekeepers Federation (ABF) Dave Mendes. Dave runs a large commercial beekeeping operation out of Florida. For those who are not familiar with Dave, he was featured in … Continue reading →
Sep. 25, 2011
Blohm from Apimomdia- Saturday’s Sessions
by Carl Flatow
Apimondia is like the Olympics only on a smaller scale. In the evening we were invited to a banquet given by the Chinese delegation. The purpose of this affair was to convince the other delegates, who represent all the other … Continue reading →
Sep. 24, 2011
Blohm From Apimondia – CCD: Keep on Trucking?
by Carl Flatow
The highlight talk of the day was by Jeff Pettis who is with the US Dept. of Agriculture and is the head of the Honey Bee Laboratory in Beltsville MD. Their mission is to conduct research on the biology and … Continue reading →
Sep. 23, 2011
Blohm from Apimondia – Honey Bee Scouts Tell Time!
by Carl Flatow
Today was quite intense, lots of choices. Symposiums I’ve gone to in the past were all given in English – here some are in Spanish with headsets for translation. I find listening to the translators a little difficult, so I’m … Continue reading →
Sep. 22, 2011
Rich Blohm from Apimondia
by Carl Flatow
We have arrived in Buenos Aires In advance of the Honey Bee Symposium. Traveling with me is my wife Lucie and she serves as my Spanish language translator. We added a few days to our trip in order to see … Continue reading →
Sep. 19, 2011
Survival Instincts – Better Than Hope
by Carl Flatow
While we wait for our first report from the Apimondia conference, I have an upbeat story to tell. About 24 hours after hurricane Irene pummeled Long Island with drenching rains and tree toppling winds I got a phone call from … Continue reading →
Sep. 16, 2011
Postcards from Buenos Aires
by Carl Flatow
For the next week I bring you a guest blogger…. Next week the 42nd INTERNATIONAL APICULTURAL CONGRESS – APIMONDIA 2011 will be held in BUENOS AIRES – ARGENTINA Sept. 21st through the 25th. This conference is a science based meeting … Continue reading →
Jun. 17, 2011
The Longest Day
by Carl Flatow
I recently received an email from a representative of the company Applied Materials, “the world’s largest manufacturer of equipment to make solar photovoltaic panels.” The writer suggested that the upcoming summer solstice (June 21 in my neighborhood in the Northern … Continue reading →
May. 06, 2011
Sweet Science
by Carl Flatow
If you like a little honey with your science, and you’re in NY City next Wednesday, you might want to join us at the American Museum of Natural History. Beekeeper, entomologist and professor in the Department of Biology at The … Continue reading →
Apr. 15, 2011
Next Friday is Earth Day
by Carl Flatow
I have a pretty neat plan for Earth Day, next Friday. I’ll be in Philadelphia at the National Constitution Center talking about bees. The Constitution Center, in Independence National Historic Park, is having an Earth Day Celebration and at 11 … Continue reading →
Apr. 11, 2011
Small Farm Summit
by Carl Flatow
I am thrilled to be part of the first Long Island Small Farm Summit which will take place this coming Friday, April 15. My parents moved from NY City when I was 4 weeks old to a new housing development … Continue reading →
Apr. 07, 2011
Hoist With Our Own Petard
by Carl Flatow
We are engaged, once again, in the food versus fuel debate, and I, for one, am mad as hell and not going to take it without a fight. It is not a coincidence that, within a few days of President … Continue reading →
Mar. 31, 2011
A Wall Street Vote For Pure Electric
by Carl Flatow
Wall Street cast a vote for the pure electric auto play, today. A blog on Forbes.com tells us, Tesla Motors (TSLA) shares are skyrocketing this morning after Morgan Stanley analyst Adam Jones raised his rating on the electric car company’s … Continue reading →
Mar. 24, 2011
The Best Tomato
by Carl Flatow
Finally, this year, I started some seeds early. Inspired by my success harvesting arugula all winter in my hoop-house. The hoop-house is all gone, now, and some young spinach plants are out in tonight’s spring snow shower with the arugula … Continue reading →
Mar. 14, 2011
Nuclear Option
by Carl Flatow
No discussion of sustainable energy is complete without inclusion of the nuclear option. When we’re in a moment like this, while a nuclear power plant disaster is playing out, one important component of that discussion is harder to ignore. Risk. … Continue reading →
Mar. 02, 2011
Asked and Answered
by Carl Flatow
In my recent post entitled Training Wheels I wondered why BMW would be building a new electric car plant while also moving toward new hybrid propulsion systems, as reported in the NY Times. Naturally,
Mar. 02, 2011
Current Electric Ford?
by Carl Flatow
I just got a call back from the dealer which was referred to me by the Ford website when I inquired about the Transit Connect Electric. This time I spoke with somebody in the loop. Here’s the bottom line- The … Continue reading →
Mar. 01, 2011
Training wheels
by Carl Flatow
One day the news tells us about BMW’s launch of a new division, building new facilities to make electric cars. One week later it is reported from the same source that the same company is bracing for permanently higher gas … Continue reading →
Feb. 27, 2011
Getting There (Part 2) – Ford’s Focus
by Carl Flatow
Peeling back another layer at the Ford website reveals an array of Hybrid & EV vehicles in a drop-down tab. In this display there are the Fusion Hybrid and the Escape Hybrid listed with prices and stats, indicating current availability. … Continue reading →
Feb. 25, 2011
Getting There (Part 1)- Ford’s Biggest Launch, EVER!
by Carl Flatow
What does the automotive landscape look like from here? From the news, this week alone, we learned that BMW announced a new electric vehicle line, Toyota will be making a line of home electric car chargers and yesterday the NY … Continue reading →
Feb. 25, 2011
High Anxiety
by Carl Flatow
The price of oil moved above $100 a barrel, today. Stock market pundits explained that, if this continued, gasoline prices would rise to $4 per gallon and beyond, and this would have a serious negative effect on the American economy. … Continue reading →
Feb. 22, 2011
Another Domino Falls
by Carl Flatow
Yesterday, BMW announced the BMW i. With their target set in 2013 they’re only one year behind the American-made Tesla S. Their structural approach reminds me of Tesla’s.
Feb. 18, 2011
Spring Fever
by Carl Flatow
The calendar creeped past the ides of February as daytime temperatures flirt with the 60s and nighttime temperatures claw at the freezing point. While watching the bees emerge from their winter huddle in significant numbers allows me to breath an … Continue reading →
Feb. 11, 2011
Waggle video submission
by Carl Flatow
We like nothing more than input from the community. Tucker from Georgia Tech said: “We recently produced an NSF-funded video describing the honey bee waggle dance. We’re aware of your recent story (and videos) with Tom Seeley at Cornell. Our … Continue reading →
Jan. 28, 2011
Snow Bees
by Carl Flatow
After this last snow storm I had to go out and check our hives. Here’s what they looked like. Sadly, some bees come out, become immobilized by the cold and drop into the snow to die. With yesterday’s temperature in … Continue reading →
Jan. 28, 2011
But is it Food…?
by Carl Flatow
In the “You can’t make this stuff up” department I had to chuckle while reading the article in today’s Washington Post, entitled, “Is that right? The beef over Taco Bell meat.” Following Beef and Water on the ingredient label supplied … Continue reading →
Jan. 27, 2011
Supermarketing
by Carl Flatow
I was listening to a bunch of talking heads on a business channel opining on the nature of sales in the supermarket. They were shocked by a report that people go to the supermarket, on average, 3 times per week. … Continue reading →
Jan. 26, 2011
Sputnik Moment
by Carl Flatow
Our President linked “the future of America” with “tomorrow’s energy” and “millions of electric cars” in his State of the Union message last night. Indeed, one flavor of electric cars – one in which most of the current auto makers … Continue reading →
Jan. 25, 2011
Cold-house, Indeed
by Carl Flatow
I went out to my cold-house, last night, to pick arugula for our salad. We have been having a visit from some Arctic air and the outdoor temperature was in the low teens. I use the two layer method of … Continue reading →
Jan. 22, 2011
Electric Cars Rising
by Carl Flatow
On January 12 Reuters reported that Toyota is making lithium ion batteries for it’s cars in its own production lines as well as in cooperation with Panasonic. A day later, Bloomberg News reported that Toyota will be selling hydrogen fuel … Continue reading →
Jan. 16, 2011
Bees Hunkered Down
by Carl Flatow
Many people are surprised when they learn that honey bees don’t actually hibernate like bears in a deep sleep through the cold months. The bees cluster tightly inside their hive and move their wing muscles (without moving their wings) to … Continue reading →
Jan. 11, 2011
My Second Favorite Weed
by Carl Flatow
A while back I wrote an entry identifying my most favorite weed as purslane. In the summer when it starts coming up all over, all by itself, I rejoice, harvest some, fresh, every day and add it to my daily … Continue reading →
Sep. 02, 2010
This is going to leave a mark
by Carl Flatow
Recently, while I was working within a hive, someone asked me how the bees learned to build such neat combs. I replied that as far as I was concerned it was the other way around – it was us humans … Continue reading →
Aug. 10, 2010
How to tell a Bee
by Carl Flatow
In case you’re not already on their email list here’s a great link at www.greatsunflower.org.
Aug. 09, 2010
Giant Cicada Killer Wasp
by Carl Flatow
Talk about beneficial insects! Last week I had the treat of witnessing the results of an amazing aerial feat. About 5 feet from me, out of the sky, a large mass of insect drama came rumbling to the ground. As … Continue reading →
Jun. 25, 2010
Why is June 21-27 Pollinator Week?
by Carl Flatow
Earlier this month I expressed my appreciation for the most obvious of my pollinator partners. It’s easy to see the bumbles bees working in my garden and to think of bees when I think of pollinators. Here are some interesting … Continue reading →
Jun. 16, 2010
Langstroth Comes To Flushing
by Carl Flatow
Last Saturday I had the pleasure of spending the day at one of NY City’s most beautiful garden spots. In celebration of their 100th birthday the Brooklyn Botanic Garden put together a Bee-Day that also celebrated NYC’s recent change in … Continue reading →
Jun. 11, 2010
I Thank The Bumble Bees
by Carl Flatow
I’m feeling pretty good about my back yard garden this year. I have a nice variety of fruits and vegetables growing. I have been eating fresh strawberries for weeks and have been harvesting a wonderful collection of greens for my … Continue reading →
May. 28, 2010
The Power of Observation
by Carl Flatow
My first year with honeybees has been quite full. It was far more intense than I ever imagined. One year ago we installed a colony of bees in our observation hive, and, as much as I enjoyed being able to … Continue reading →
May. 18, 2010
Toxic Berries
by Carl Flatow
I planted a half dozen blueberry bushes in my yard a few years ago. I’m expecting a very nice crop of berries this year. A week or two ago, I watched the bumblebees visiting each small, tight flower and biting … Continue reading →
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